So, what is Chasing Torque? In my mind, it is a column for the automotive fanatics, or for those of you that have an interest in automotives at all. I have grown up in this amazing industry and dream of working in it one day. My social media feeds are littered with photos, articles, videos and pretty much anything else you can think of that’s automotive related.

This industry has so many more components to it than people are led to believe. I am going to make a bold assertion here, but I believe almost every degree, with some obvious exceptions, can be utilized in this amazing industry. Besides the obvious business majors, engineering majors and transit services majors this industry utilizes, the industry needs graphic design majors, mass communication majors, photography majors and so many more.

This industry is one that anyone can find a successful career in. I know not everyone has a dream of working with cars, but for those small few that do, I encourage you to find your niche!

Switching topics real quickly to those few gearheads, you all can probably attest that your car is your baby. You coddle it, clean it and spend large sums of money on it. I mean you probably have given your car a name – I certainly have.

Going off of this, another point I hope to delve into more in this column is that your car is an extension of you. I have had some friends tell me that I am wrong in this, but I disagree. When you choose a car – or any product for that matter – there are six factors that play into your purchasing decision: perception, learning, personality, motives, attitudes and lifestyle – the marketing student in me is coming out.

These factors come into play every time you make a purchase and become more prominent in high involvement purchases, such as a car. You have your preferred color, preferred make and preferred model that you are looking for. In addition to this, you may have other criteria that are important to you. Does it have great gas mileage? Does it have heated seats? Is it sporty looking? All of these questions are reflections of you.

As I stated before, I hope to delve more into this throughout this column. Vehicles are an important aspect of our society. For some, they are a means to get from point a to point b. For others, like myself, it isn’t just getting from point a to point b, it’s about the experience getting there. Like Ford Mustang’s ad campaign says, “everyone drives, but some of us make it personal.”